An Albanian man was this morning handed a suspended jail term after pleading guilty to possessing and using a fake Italian passport to travel to the United Kingdom.

Orgest Musta, 22, was charged with having and using the identity card yesterday and the preceding days.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti heard how the man was arrested at the Malta International Airport upon his arrival on a flight from Gatwick.

The police were informed about the man by the British authorities who immediately sent the man back to Malta when they realised he had a fake Italian identity card.

The man, who said he worked as a gardener in Greece, told police he wanted to travel to the UK but since he only had an Albanian passport and needed a European document to get into the UK without a visa, he bought the fake document from a man in Parma for €2,000.

Defence lawyer Noel Bartolo argued that a suspended sentence would suffice in this case, especially since the man will be deported.

Magistrate Grixti jailed him for one year suspended for two years.

Police Inspector Darren Buhagiar prosecuted while Dr Bartolo appeared for the accused as legal aid.